tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88604120149244852042024-03-13T12:18:19.222-04:00Delias Studio, Inc.Girl with a torch and a story.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-16036358548852411872013-05-11T21:05:00.001-04:002013-05-11T21:18:05.857-04:00Evolution Revolution...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fgJxjme7M4o/UY7np4hrWcI/AAAAAAAAAjU/kn3NYBrRrfU/s1600/mosaicf01ff76f18b0dd4847c835bf495d9061dcf010b8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fgJxjme7M4o/UY7np4hrWcI/AAAAAAAAAjU/kn3NYBrRrfU/s640/mosaicf01ff76f18b0dd4847c835bf495d9061dcf010b8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Evolution...<br />
<br />
And so finally, a studio.<br />
<br />
The time came and went without fulfillment. A need building until the pressure became too much to ignore. A certainty that that must manifest physically before the journey could continue.<br />
<br />
And finally it is.<br />
<br />
It is all that I imagined and more and I know it will form the boundaries needed for true evolution.<br />
<br />
A space dedicated to one purpose, a space to create.<br />
<br />
I am in awe and so thankful to have these four walls and this small space in which to create and explore.<br />
<br />
I feel the need to continue the journey and exploration without distraction.<br />
<br />
It is a home for the part of my life that has consumed me. A space that can offer the boundaries needed to separate the individual from the task, the identity from the all encompassing, the is from the group.<br />
<br />
A reminder that I am but I am also so much more...Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-2912130351756893922013-02-22T19:46:00.000-05:002013-02-22T19:46:14.534-05:00A Book Well Used...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gCsJ8O7ns28/USgM4Uuuj9I/AAAAAAAAAi4/S7GfdpfOjS8/s1600/IMG_3572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gCsJ8O7ns28/USgM4Uuuj9I/AAAAAAAAAi4/S7GfdpfOjS8/s640/IMG_3572.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's always been a habit of mine to sketch ideas when inspiration forms... I like to capture as much as I can relegating judgement and criticism for later. Ideas are precious and sketching them in pencil on paper quiets my inner fear that someday perhaps there may be no new ideas left.<br />
<br />
I have sketch books stacked one on top of the other and I find in moments when inspiration hides from me that they extend the sweet invitation to put them to use. Flipping through the pages in search of an idea worth fabricating propels the wheels of my mind forward and often inspiration follows once again.<br />
<br />
Recently as I have had more time to craft the pieces that inspire and move me I found that trying to find the right page in the right book a hinderance. A purchase many months ago found its way into my hands; a beautiful leather bound book originally thought too special to actually use. I was inspired to take my best ideas and paste them in one book that I could keep at my fingertips. Expanding on this idea I added small notes, inspirational photos and mementos. I love it and it has already been put to good use.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-32667747428675221392013-01-12T01:45:00.001-05:002013-01-12T01:47:15.478-05:00More Than I Am...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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An Artist's Prayer.<br />
<br />
Recently I have spent a lot of time pushing myself to be better than I am...<br />
<br />
I yearn to fabricate the pieces I love.<br />
<br />
The pieces that feed my soul, illuminate my inner pride and connect the many pieces of me leaving me whole.<br />
<br />
I want to craft the pieces that mean more. The pieces that become a part of you, that you purchase not merely for their beauty but because they speak to you.<br />
<br />
I want to be something more than I am.<br />
<br />
I strive to be, better than I am.<br />
<br />
I want to be worthy of all those who surround me in their brilliance.<br />
<br />
I want to be moved by those I love and those I look up to and perhaps find in the end...<br />
<br />
that they are moved by me too.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-48160387336061361742012-12-28T21:50:00.002-05:002012-12-28T23:17:32.089-05:00When Passion and Defiance Collide...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cFdWyEc5GR0/UN5EzslLAjI/AAAAAAAAAiU/7lhsUtGlR38/s1600/mosaic15789d6fb1ae84ae34455941bf8909c1b7fb3a2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cFdWyEc5GR0/UN5EzslLAjI/AAAAAAAAAiU/7lhsUtGlR38/s400/mosaic15789d6fb1ae84ae34455941bf8909c1b7fb3a2b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
It is insidious.</div>
<br />
It creeps along as a faithful companion offering solace in a hand held stretched out obscuring that which is kept hidden. With cunning it stands beside us disguising deceit as friendship.<br />
<br />
Revelation comes hard as we find ourselves exposed too long. The erosion so slight it continues unnoticed as it seeps poison with patient precision.<br />
<br />
It is an artist defined, standing on the brilliance of past achievements, the journey complete, passion left to decay.<br />
<br />
Ultimately brilliance fades and the work grows stale. It is an artist with nothing new to offer. The memory of faded glory is all that remains.<br />
<br />
It is an indulgence we all oblige, the tendency to find ourselves embracing a formula as we create. It begins innocently yet left unattended becomes the very thing we fight against, a factory endlessly producing genericism in mass.<br />
<br />
Continue the challenge, embrace the purity that comes as you explore, push yourself aways....<br />
<br />
Evolution stems from the collision of passion and defiance.<br />
<br />
Evolve<br />
<br />
It is with passion and defiance that I refuse limitations always searching for the next seed of inspiration.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-56436370736065505292012-10-27T22:05:00.003-04:002012-10-27T22:05:39.353-04:00My dear friend...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bT_PaM_AwUI/UIyL7x4WT_I/AAAAAAAAAhg/3J8wIDV-tYg/s1600/IMG_0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bT_PaM_AwUI/UIyL7x4WT_I/AAAAAAAAAhg/3J8wIDV-tYg/s640/IMG_0291.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>You are never given a wish without being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>The path is upside down and backwards, crooked around the edges, uphill both ways, turning upon itself without reason...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>It is with intention. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>You cannot rush what turns and changes each second. You cannot find shortcuts that do not exist. You cannot reach what is not physical...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>You must accept. You must exhaust all reason. you must give in...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>On your knees, with arms spread, with palms open, with complete abandon, you must...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>It is not for examination, it just is. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>It will not be </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>forced.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>manipulated.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>bribed.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>It will be as it will be. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>And...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>It will desire much...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>So my darling, stop.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>take it all in</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>explore</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>create</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>be</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>accept</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>breathe.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>It is in the quiet without force or frustration that the whispering can be heard. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>It is when you swallow your words that you begin to listen. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>It is then that your voice can be heard...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i>To my dearest friend.... you know who you are.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: comic sans ms;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-32673809074719519472012-10-19T00:54:00.000-04:002012-10-19T00:54:27.442-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lvy-KGbdZLU/UIDX8iohE7I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/R8VefXsgBQ8/s1600/IMG_9589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lvy-KGbdZLU/UIDX8iohE7I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/R8VefXsgBQ8/s640/IMG_9589.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: #fefefd;">I have gone out, a possessed witch,</span><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><span style="background-color: #fefefd;">haunting the black air, braver at night;</span><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><span style="background-color: #fefefd;">dreaming evil, I have done my hitch</span><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><span style="background-color: #fefefd;">over the plain houses, light by light:</span><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><span style="background-color: #fefefd;">lonely thing, twelve-fingered, out of mind.</span><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><br style="background-color: #fefefd;" /><span style="background-color: #fefefd;">A woman like that is not a woman, quite.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefefd;"><br /></span>
- Anne Sexton<br />
<br />
Yes, I have been her kind and I have not found a woman yet who has not found herself the possessed witch, the woman misunderstood, the woman, a survivor not afraid to die.<br />
<br />
We carry this burden as we always have. We know ourselves and one another. We see what others turn away from, we stand when others kneel, we witness...<br />
<br />
We fight and claw and bite so we will not have to kneel.<br />
<br />
It is okay.<br />
<br />
A woman like that is not a woman quite. At least not as they would understand it...<br />
<br />
Yet we know... a woman like that is a woman quite... She is all woman... she is the very definition of...<br />
<br />
We capture strength and we hold it steady and strong, we do not bend, we do not break, we do not...<br />
<br />
That is what it is to be a woman.<br />
<br />
It is okay.<br />
<br />
As knowing is the part that binds.<br />
<br />
It is the sisterhood.<br />
<br />
It is...<br />
<br />
<br />Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-61716422911022434752012-10-12T22:31:00.000-04:002012-10-12T22:31:13.431-04:00Path of One...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
<br />
When you are one who creates, you never rest. You strive...<br />
always strive...<br />
strive to be...<br />
better than you are. <br />
<br />
It haunts you in the seconds before you drift off to sleep, a melodic beating like a heartbeat pumping within.<br />
<br />
The feeling of satisfaction is fleeting. A moment of pure joy before the critical eye awakens and begins the process of deconstruction.<br />
Always the thought,<br />
can I do better?<br />
<br />
It is a virtue and a vice. The part you love and the part that breaks you down,<br />
yet...<br />
<br />
you know inside that if you were to be released, if you were to truly find that part that feels completion, the journey would end.<br />
<br />
It is a craving that gnaws, a promise unfulfilled, a yearning, a begging on your hands and knees...<br />
a desperation...<br />
<br />
And.<br />
<br />
It is sweet. So damn sweet.<br />
<br />
It is pain and it is kind...<br />
<br />
And yes, oh so clever, this obsession.<br />
<br />
It is the path of one who creates...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-60595694232488343762012-10-03T21:06:00.001-04:002012-10-03T21:07:07.171-04:00And then they inspire you...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fL2Obb7fI78/UGzbkUWtFeI/AAAAAAAAAgg/TxE7EfNLlrs/s1600/IMG_8492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fL2Obb7fI78/UGzbkUWtFeI/AAAAAAAAAgg/TxE7EfNLlrs/s320/IMG_8492.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
It is a moment, A smile, A light in the darkness, Kindness from a stranger, A something given, unexpected, when you need it the most.<br />
<br />
Sometimes,<br />
it is just a word.<br />
<br />
And it is brilliant how it ignites, catches fire, burns through you. Illuminating shadows, Light spreads and you find that the shadows are nothing more but shadows after all. The fear created by the unknown vanishes. The truth sets you free.<br />
<br />
We find brilliance in the most unexpected regions of our life.<br />
<br />
Brilliance as Illumination.<br />
Brilliance as genius.<br />
<br />
You know it not by sight but feel.<br />
It moves through you, the hair rises, the skin cools, you are awakened.<br />
<br />
You open your eyes, you listen, you hear the meaning behind words as they unravel, not words, not syllables caught in a string, but a message.<br />
<br />
The something more you greet as an old soul whispering into your captive ear.<br />
<br />
It is a gift.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-23404863315054125082012-07-18T22:36:00.004-04:002012-07-18T22:36:53.928-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKBrmJdMvGY/UAdvGZfu6II/AAAAAAAAAgU/eJjFIkZKDcQ/s1600/IMG_6510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKBrmJdMvGY/UAdvGZfu6II/AAAAAAAAAgU/eJjFIkZKDcQ/s320/IMG_6510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
<br /> ―
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3565.Oscar_Wilde">Oscar Wilde</a><br />
<br />
The freedom that comes with these words is indescribable. It is absolute and without effort we find ourselves direct evidence of their truth.<br />
<br />
I found myself today deep in discussion and the words that arrived at the lips of my mouth were a surprise even to me. I find that as I move forward I don't know how to be anyone but me. As I design and pull the elements together it is organic because it flows from my perspective which has gained a power above and beyond my mind.<br />
<br />
It is a reminder to those who still seek something wholly new and unexpected to spring forth from their endeavors. Be yourself and it will come. There is this idea that we are somehow in control but I find that with each year passing I have less control than I would like to believe. There is a certainty in the individual of who I am and the ability to pass this through in my actions and words is what creates the vibration I leave behind.<br />
<br />
We are wholly unique and each of us have something wholly unique to offer. Perhaps it is the intense effort we put in being wholly unique that creates the divide between what is and what is forced.<br />
<br />
<br />Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-62074414454208984032012-05-02T19:18:00.001-04:002012-05-02T19:18:16.707-04:00Evolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQQ5PtcOEho/T6G3V0fHMRI/AAAAAAAAAfE/urBsFgGbMM4/s1600/6990922658_216cedb365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQQ5PtcOEho/T6G3V0fHMRI/AAAAAAAAAfE/urBsFgGbMM4/s320/6990922658_216cedb365.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Evolution<br />
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As an artist so much is demanded of our creative genius. It
is constantly being tested by both ourselves and those who follow our work. We
demand a constant flow of new ideas and those ideas must be good. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It can be exhausting this constant push and pull of ideas. I
know you've been there. Started off the morning ready to take over the world.
So completely sure of your own amazing talent and so full of ideas that you can
barely fabricate them fast enough. You finish setting the last stone and you
look at the piece in awe, look what I created. I'm amazing, I'm brilliant, and
I’m untouchable. By that evening as you allow your eyes to drift slowly
downward, just before they start to close, the thought comes like a splinter
and antagonizes you until you find sleep useless and you wonder if it's
possible to creep back into the studio for another look. The alter ego arrives
with a force, what if it isn't that good, what if nobody likes it, what if everything
I fabricate is only mediocre at best and my belief that I could actually be
someone, that I was brilliant even is like the voice of my mother who thinks
just about everything I do is amazing and let's face it, we all know mothers
fib!</div>
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<span></span>This is the path of an artist and we all find our own ways
to deal with it. I know that it is part in parcel and it is those who would
even dare to choose this path that harbor the harshest self-criticism. </div>
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<span></span>So how do we continue to build the momentum we need everyday
to continue to create and to continue to come up with new ideas. This is
something that I have spent a lot of time thinking about because while some
navigate these waters calmly, others find it a great difficulty. For me this
has been a strength and one I would like to share. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The key is in evolution. I find the idea for the next piece
from the piece I am working on now. So often as I am fabricating I am thinking
about that next piece and what the current piece would look like if I were to
go in another direction. I try to keep my eyes open constantly to the next
possibility. Taking an idea and branching out within it's many parts to all the
different and unique options gives your initial spark of an idea a full and
complete journey allowing you to store your energy for the next great spark.
Complete the process within each cycle and you will find that not only does
your collection begin to build a variety of options within it but also so many
options for those looking at your work which is always a good thing. </div>
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I try to leave production work to the days where I really
have nothing new and my creative force is truly drained. This allows me to
continue to work and as I am working I can process to find the next great
beginning of another idea.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">We as
artists have a natural inclination to want to crack open something new each day
and evolve at a frightening pace but when we allow ourselves to capture all of
the many elements within each new idea we offer ourselves a broader range and
usually the next great idea is hidden within the many pieces of the current
one.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">What follows is a short series of pieces I fabricated in order as I allowed each idea to evolve:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-31843133099903231612012-04-22T03:15:00.000-04:002012-04-22T03:15:08.718-04:00Argue your limitations....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, argue your limitations and sure enough, they are yours.<br />
<br />
It is amazing to me how many talented and incredible artists I meet who set their own limitations. They somehow create a space in their head defined by what they believe they can achieve. I never understood this. I don't know how far each of us can push our own creative endeavors but I believe that we should continue to push ourselves and see where it will go. I never wanted to embrace the idea that I couldn't or I might not... I just want to see and continue down the path to where? I'm not sure but I certainly felt that anything was possible.<br />
<br />
So why is it that as of recent I feel a tremendous amount of weight upon my shoulders? It is new, this feeling. I can barely describe it but it is here hanging over me. I've spent the last few months pushing against it, not wanting to give it root but it continues to grow even beyond me as recently my husband spoke it aloud from his own mind and words and the consequence of that is that what I have tried to ignore has its own truth.<br />
<br />
The path I am on now has gone as far as it will take me. I've known this quietly in the back of my head. Pieces popping out and lingering in the shadows but I have tried to move past it hoping that time would find a break in the pattern, a momentary relief from the inevitable. Yet, here it is. Time for tough decisions and the question that gnaws at the back of our heels, where do I want to go? I feel unsure and off balance. It is significant and a question I have not had to answer before now. Each step before this brought me closer but not past where I thought I would go. Now, I must honestly look inside and find the words that will propel me forward by my own force and determination.<br />
<br />
I know the answer will change everything. I know that moving forward the sense of purpose will be different and unique. It is no longer a matter of split second decisions but somehow more tangible and significant. When you describe in words and write down what you really want, failure is more true in a way that is measured inch by inch, liter by liter against that which is your spoken and verifiable goal.<br />
<br />
It is almost overwhelming and I find it difficult to focus on it. I keep thinking that I have time, time to think it through, time to process, to make a decision but the truth is I don't know and procrastination like a holding pattern has become a comfortable home. At least I know this, I know where I am, what is expected of me, what the road here holds but moving forward it all becomes uncertain and my belief that I can overcome the obstacle not certain quite.<br />
<br />
There are truly so many different places to go. The thoughts tumble from my mind multiplying from each cross examination. So many wonderful ideas.<br />
<br />
Yet. It is spoken aloud. The words have permanence beyond me and there will be so much freedom ultimately in a decision. I continue to toss and turn searching for the light that will illuminate the answer.<br />
<br />
I keep coming back to the words, "argue your limitations and sure enough they are yours." I know the truth embedded in these words. I know that a choice must be made. It is a certain truth and yet.....<br />
<br />
<br />Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-30528408496765885932012-03-30T21:30:00.000-04:002012-03-30T21:30:42.038-04:00Build A Collection, Create A Story....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oJBGdRmLYms/T3ZZuJcR24I/AAAAAAAAAe0/zUxgpNDKd_8/s1600/6884713754_7fe6d1b05e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oJBGdRmLYms/T3ZZuJcR24I/AAAAAAAAAe0/zUxgpNDKd_8/s320/6884713754_7fe6d1b05e_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It's tough when you feel like your work is bits and pieces. A bit of this and a piece of that. You want it all to paint a beautiful portrait yet you are enchanted with this and with that.<br />
<br />
I know, I've been there. Just today in fact!<br />
<br />
And yet, success hinges on your ability to create a collection. If you dare to venture into wholesale your buyers will demand it and if you choose to retail at shows your sales will soar with it. Those buying your work need options. Big, small, short, long, chunky, thin..... need I go on?<br />
<br />
It's a difficult balance between having all the freedom in the world to create and knowing that at the end the pieces must tell a story. <br />
<br />
As I have a difficult time not giving in to my creative will I have to work extra hard to try to pull it all together. One of my solutions is the story board. I allow myself time to play and create. I find what works and what I want to build a collection around. Once I have the beginning pieces formed and fabricated I begin a story board. <br />
<br />
As you can see above I begin arranging the pieces in small groups looking for gaps. How many pieces are there in each grouping? Do I have enough necklace or earring options? Is there a piece that stands alone? Is there an earring that could be shortened or lengthened to offer another possibility? <br />
<br />
With a story board I can see most clearly the gaps and pieces sticking out like an island unto themselves.<br />
<br />
I thought I would share this idea in hopes that it will help others. I am getting ready to start show season so as you can see I have a lot of work to do!Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-72965878782154269832012-03-01T23:30:00.000-05:002012-03-01T23:30:19.491-05:00Plan b.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x6AxMBrMBCg/T1BHTi-M6JI/AAAAAAAAAes/FntJVn_EP3M/s1600/mosaic7d85c05b706f863333cf06e401c1d688f050ee94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x6AxMBrMBCg/T1BHTi-M6JI/AAAAAAAAAes/FntJVn_EP3M/s320/mosaic7d85c05b706f863333cf06e401c1d688f050ee94.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
At one time I had a manager who had only one frame on her desk. It wasn't a memento or a picture but a collection of words that impacted me and I draw on still; the key to success is how well you deal with plan b.<br />
<br />
<br />
If you are anything like me, you don't have a plan b and trying to swing from the hip quickly can be a difficult and precarious combination of moves so stunningly acrobatic that it leaves you standing on the tips of your toes and hopeful that there were no witnesses to your near perilous and sudden drop to certain death. <br />
<br />
And yet we push through.<br />
<br />
It is a wonder to me how we evolve as artists and individuals in any given climate. Perhaps it is the simple truth that we so often have few choices; change or die. Evolve or fail. It is a certainty in life that as soon as you think you have found a perfect balance and harmony, the dance will change.<br />
<br />
With the given economic climate and the rising and fluctuating cost of precious metals I find this daring adventure as a jeweler even more of a paradox. How do we face these challenging difficulties.<br />
<br />
For each the answer will be different.<br />
<br />
The key I know however, is in the elusive plan b.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-42322094875090776112012-02-11T20:04:00.000-05:002012-02-11T20:04:44.988-05:00Into the Light.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1PfZCCO5mlM/TzcQCiyrkVI/AAAAAAAAAec/7LNSQVuUEBc/s1600/422454_2979367876669_1036076896_2955922_1849990195_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1PfZCCO5mlM/TzcQCiyrkVI/AAAAAAAAAec/7LNSQVuUEBc/s320/422454_2979367876669_1036076896_2955922_1849990195_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Midway upon the journey of our life<br />
I found myself within a forest dark,<br />
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.<br />
-Dante Alighieri, The Inferno<br />
<br />
Such amazing words, read at a time when their meaning resonated deep within me. I have found that rarely is the path forward straight. It is full of twists and turns, unexpected angles and a need for optimism that a beam of light will bend to find and lead you through.<br />
<br />
I am not alone in this. I have witnessed the struggle of those close around me as we become burdened with life's consequences. It seems there is not a person near not touched within the last few years by hardship. It is understandable that one would want to cover their eyes and fall into the deep clutches of depression but as one who has found their way through the recent events that paralyzed me, I know, the only way is through it. Through the denial, the anger, the fear and the numbness. It is with the passing of the stages that we come to acceptance and with that the ability to capture the courage we need to make the difficult choices with what life has spread before us.<br />
<br />
But this is the hard truth and I choke upon the words, do I dare give them permanence in speaking them aloud? You can't go back. This is the ultimate acceptance that buries the passage forward. We can't go back, we must find our way to a new place in a new time. When I first heard these words, I shuttered. All I wanted was to go back. All I did each and every day was try to understand how to put the pieces back together in a collage that once formed the portrait of my life. I didn't believe it, couldn't believe it and never did find comfort in the understanding of it, even now. There is no back, only forward. Now as I have embraced the light again I see so clearly that this was always true. The only comfort I can offer is that what comes next could be greater than what came before. As the driver in your life you have the ability to take the bitter and make it matter in a way that offers pure sweetness. Yes, take lemons and make lemonade.<br />
<br />
It is a reminder for me. I thought I already knew but I hadn't realized I had forgotten. The journey to find oneself is an evolution. We are not stagnant but continually moving forward and deepening this relationship can only offer more; more of everything. I thought I knew who I was and perhaps I did at one time. I am no longer that person completely, I am changed and I am always changing. I cannot be locked in a box or hung in a frame. I am a flow of constant movement and this is freeing. It is life.<br />
<br />
As an artist I am finding new ways to see with old eyes. I feel fortunate to embrace these past experiences and mend the inner conflict with a colorful stroke of my brush. Painting these vivid experiences in color reminds me that I am a part of "their" story and they are a part of "mine." There is so much to offer and express, so much if we just crack open our souls and stand strong allowing all to see the jagged scars and broken pieces of who we are, rich with history and deep as the canyons. We are not stagnant, we are constantly in motion. Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-11729791914345343372011-10-30T21:04:00.000-04:002011-10-30T21:04:43.476-04:00A Handbook....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bmij-Iz8lYg/Tq3ry9rCAvI/AAAAAAAAAeI/dVyjokP4v4o/s1600/IMG_5128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bmij-Iz8lYg/Tq3ry9rCAvI/AAAAAAAAAeI/dVyjokP4v4o/s320/IMG_5128.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Let me start off by sharing the significance of this book. When I was twelve my parents did a variety of odd jobs for Billy Graham. No, not the evangelist but Billy Graham of Billy Graham Presentations..... Don't worry, not many would know the meaning behind this. Billy Graham presented the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd concerts. Because of this I had a colorful childhood and was exposed to more than most small children.<br />
<br />
I've gotten off track. So it just so happened that Pink Floyd was at Cal-Expo in Sacramento in 1988 and my parents were able to find some odd jobs with the show. My parents spent the day in the arena putting up chairs and doing a variety of tasks and I was required to spend the day in the van in the parking lot alone. This may sound crazy but let me follow this up with the fact that the van I'm speaking of doubled as our home. I told you my childhood was colorful!<br />
<br />
My mother was one who let me read and watch just about anything I wanted. There were no "grown up" books in our household. So it was on this particular day that as my mother was leaving she parted with some clever words. "you can read anything you want, but I don't think you should read this one, you probably wouldn't understand it." Well, you know what I did as soon as she left the van. I cracked the cover of that book and began reading. I was certain that there must be something very forbidden hidden within it's pages. After awhile I forgot that I was supposed to be looking for some very adult passages and became absorbed into the story of the Reluctant Messiah.<br />
<br />
I read this book every year and sometimes twice a year. Each and every time I finish it, I think to myself that I will not forget. Each and every time I do. I must be reminded over and over again. I must be surprised by it's meaning and wrapped in it's words each and every time. I come to this book to heal, to learn and to remember NOT TO CLING TO THE ROCKS! I know that I will find what I am looking for hidden within it's pages and each time I come to it reluctantly. I know the story by heart, I know the meaning, I KNOW. Yet, I come eventually to the one story that defines me and reminds me of where I came from and who I am. What I hold true and what I value. These things are true. These things are good. These things I will keep. <br />
<br />
I must part with these words in the hope that you too might let go of the rocks;<br />
<br />
11. The Master answered and said, "Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river.<br />
12. the current of the river swept silently over them all-young and old, rich and poor, good and evil, the current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self.<br />
13. Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of live, and resisting the current what each had learned from birth.<br />
14. But one creature said at last, "I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom."<br />
15. The other creatures laughed and said, 'fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you will die quicker than boredom!'<br />
16. But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks.<br />
<br />
17. Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more.<br />
<br />
<br />
18. And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried, "see a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the Messiah, come to save us all!"<br />
<br />
19. And the one carried in the current said, "I am no more Messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is the voyage, this adventure."<br />
20. "But they cried the more, 'savior!' all the while clinging to the rocks, and when they looked again he was gone, and they were left alone making legends of a savior."<br />
<br />
Written By Richard Bach, Illusions.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-11367717445160473072011-10-18T00:50:00.000-04:002011-10-18T00:50:15.861-04:00Finding the steps.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ss3DoPzBa-0/Tp0CeXMEFBI/AAAAAAAAAd4/iW8nCWbAmgQ/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ss3DoPzBa-0/Tp0CeXMEFBI/AAAAAAAAAd4/iW8nCWbAmgQ/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I don't know what to say other than the steps I knew as the dance of my life changed and I wasn't aware that the music had stopped....<br />
<br />
It's taken some time, a lot of time, to regain any sort of balance and now as I near seven months I am just now beginning to feel the stir within. The need for balance, the need for something whole, the need for myself, a return of myself.<br />
<br />
And I try to remember the words spoken so often to me as a young child, life isn't fair. I think we all find that at times what we thought would be our lives takes a sudden turn and we find ourselves winded and immersed in disbelief. Nobody plans for the twists and turns that appear so dark and steep. If we knew they were coming perhaps we would have chosen another path entirely. Yet that is the comedy of life and perhaps a great triumph, would we ever jump if we knew we were going to fall? <br />
<br />
So Yes, I am stumbling now. I have fallen and I am still discovering the bruises and fractures that heal slowly. Yet, there is a hope, a glimmer of hope that this too shall pass. I am still here. I am still here inside and though it may take time to bring the fullness of Her back I know She will come. For this I am grateful as I did not know if this would ever come.<br />
<br />
And simply, I do realize the things I had forgotten. I am the girl who left McMinnville, Oregon for Atlanta, Georgia on a whim. The girl who wanted to discover a life of her own. The girl who chose her own path. The girl who lived without fear. If nothing else, I want to reconnect with Her. I want Her to be apart of my life moving forward. I want to remember the girl who knew anything was possible and all one must do is take a single step in a specific direction to realize it. I am still HER and SHE is still here. We are getting reacquainted but I missed Her. <br />
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So we begin with a new dance, new steps and a new direction.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-90466789190688767862011-06-17T14:17:00.001-04:002011-06-17T14:19:25.467-04:00Shades of Gray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PtNGaw7SUGQ/TfuZt8P0wcI/AAAAAAAAAd0/Vyj7PLh5KJ0/s1600/pic22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PtNGaw7SUGQ/TfuZt8P0wcI/AAAAAAAAAd0/Vyj7PLh5KJ0/s320/pic22.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444;"><i>This passage of time feels endless and I have found my world flipped and turned upside down. Reaching deep inside I search for strength to accept what I never knew was possible. Sharp corners - inside my mind feeding me endlessly and I wonder if they were always there. The angles are endless and what I once saw as pure I know was contaminated but not knowing at the time I swallowed it whole and built a life believing what I held as truth, was. I find myself looking at my life like shattered glass and I wonder how shattered glass can be both brilliantly beautiful and hauntingly sad? What do we do with the pieces? And like the chapters previous I know this too shall pass. It will be what it is and I know that accepting that is the only truth I can hold onto. I must celebrate it but I can't seem to find the courage to believe. So I go on because this is what I would tell another..... you must move forward, you must continue, there is no other choice, there is no other direction, you cannot go back, you must continue until the distance between the future and this fades into softer shades of gray. </i></div>Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-74764332831695042832011-06-11T16:00:00.001-04:002011-06-12T20:59:55.168-04:00From out of the shadows...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jvaYHaOgL-I/TfVgygUJrVI/AAAAAAAAAds/I2oWZXG-tmU/s1600/newcuff.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jvaYHaOgL-I/TfVgygUJrVI/AAAAAAAAAds/I2oWZXG-tmU/s320/newcuff.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I often find that when my life leads to utter and complete chaos, my creativity spikes and my understanding of who I am and my place in the world turns concrete. I wish I could capture this part of the drama and hold it in my pocket but it seems that from out of the shadows this gift comes and I am grateful to be greeted by it. The wheels begin to grind and time spent in the studio allows me to escape from the world at large. Unfortunately I am in such a time now. The world at large is banished to a far corner and I creep to the studio looking for the solace that comes from doing something well and keeping oneself so preoccupied that the dark haunting thoughts that want to enter my mind are barred for a short while. I find strength in who I am when sitting at the bench. There is no pretense, no misunderstandings, no need to try to appear to be something I am not. I can just be and breathe and work. Me and the metal as one forging our way through hours of time as the hands slip around the clock. Perhaps this is what drew me to the arts in the first place. It is the only time I feel no need to be ashamed or cautious. It just is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HhEvg31O_10/TfVg55qy7OI/AAAAAAAAAdw/ES1PonyEQkw/s1600/greenwhitering.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HhEvg31O_10/TfVg55qy7OI/AAAAAAAAAdw/ES1PonyEQkw/s320/greenwhitering.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>From the deepest part of me comes the latest concept that I am defining to collaborate with my current Element Collection. Not sure where it will go but there will be plenty of hours in the studio to discover the path.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-85539527168682650242011-03-23T22:24:00.001-04:002011-03-23T22:26:43.498-04:00The Path Not Traveled....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BRXHx9XrORc/TYqonOBq2BI/AAAAAAAAAc8/LrnaX-2YqTo/s1600/2205213678_1f4a288fbd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BRXHx9XrORc/TYqonOBq2BI/AAAAAAAAAc8/LrnaX-2YqTo/s320/2205213678_1f4a288fbd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Do you ever think about the path not traveled? I love my life but still sometimes I wonder about all the lives I left behind when I chose mine. It surprises me still the person I have become over the person I thought I would be.<br />
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I always thought I would wander more.... I wanted to be a journalist for the National Geographic, I wanted to be a tattoo artist, I wanted to join the Peace Corp., I wanted to teach English in Japan..... So many lives I left behind when I chose this one.<br />
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I never thought of myself living a fairly ordinary life. My parents led me on a journey of constant variety. In 1988 my parents packed my sister and I up in a Ford Van and we followed the Grateful Dead. My first concert ever was James Taylor followed by Pink Floyd when I was 12. We sold "dancing egg rolls" and tie dye t-shirts, We lived at a campground in California for a month..... none of these would lead one to believe that I would grow up to be such a predictable adult.<br />
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It is because of this that from time to time I wonder what it would be like to keep driving right past my exit. What would it be like to sell everything and just live day by day? Then I remember all of the wonderful things I have in my life that fulfill me and I know with certainty that these other lives are only wonderful because they are how I imagine them in a mere moment. The realities of these other lives would surely and eventually turn into a grind and the up side would eventually plateau. It is because I can keep them as visions warm in my mind and delightful in the fact that they were paths I never actually traveled that makes them glorious. Yet from time to time I enjoy a good daydream about all the lives I didn't live and the person I didn't become.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-37596436522987484162011-01-30T21:14:00.000-05:002011-01-30T21:14:01.824-05:00Another Busy Day<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUYZ6K2T4VI/AAAAAAAAAc0/oHpGSghmyY0/s1600/5403280448_709abc049e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUYZ6K2T4VI/AAAAAAAAAc0/oHpGSghmyY0/s320/5403280448_709abc049e.jpg" width="320" /></a>Spent another day working to get ready for BMAC. So this is sorta what I had in mind for the new layout. It's tough to see and I am trying to get an idea of how the cases will work in a very tight space but I think you can get the general idea. My only thought now is; is it too dark brown/black? Does it look too flat? I can't decide if I need to add another color element. I am always trying to be super cautious as I want the work to be really clean and clear..... I think I may consider changing the inside color on two of the cases from dark brown to a light linen just to break it up a bit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUYZ38wTDvI/AAAAAAAAAcw/KAzJa9OOmq0/s1600/5402687847_3634f7ceb4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUYZ38wTDvI/AAAAAAAAAcw/KAzJa9OOmq0/s320/5402687847_3634f7ceb4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Carlos was super great cutting all of the foam board for me to measure. How many weekends has he spent doing stuff for me? He can be pretty incredible but I can't cut a straight line if my life depended on it so I am so fortunate to have his help! Thanks Carlos!Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-55080892584525069342011-01-29T23:08:00.001-05:002011-01-29T23:12:14.366-05:00Redesign for BMAC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUTf0FflLyI/AAAAAAAAAcg/wVb4oPDHSqA/s1600/5400084634_d11e126c63_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUTf0FflLyI/AAAAAAAAAcg/wVb4oPDHSqA/s400/5400084634_d11e126c63_m.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUTfvcWWL3I/AAAAAAAAAcc/ZRRifRbbqgE/s1600/5399488989_f8f5ed1051_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <br />
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With the Buyer's Market show just a few weeks away I am spending most of my weekends getting ready. I had once thought that once I came up with a booth display - I would be done. Not true. There is a constant need to reinvent, redesign, and solve problems in general.<br />
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Last year I shipped my booth to Philadelphia from Atlanta. The cost was amazingly competitive on the way there and I was shocked to find the price quite different on it's return. I have learned to truly appreciate the concept; light as a feather. This year I will be driving to the show but later in the summer I have a show in Las Vegas, knowing that, I am challenging myself to design a beautiful booth at a bargain price and as light as I can possibly keep it. When you are paying per pound; every ounce counts!<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">The cost to purchase jewelry display items always amazes me. It seems you will either find selection at a high price or no selection at a low price. In addition I found using busts and general jewelry display items in my case has a crowded look. This year I spent a lot of time thinking about how to create a cleaner look and of course to keep it light.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This is the first step leading to the new design. I'm really excited as it looks like it is going to turn out well. I purchased floral arrangement foam and spray painted them black. They now almost look like charcoal or stone. Very cool. I am going to use these as risers to create different levels in the cases. On the top of each riser I am using colored foam board in white and black cut in squares. The jewelry will sit on the boards with the risers underneath. I will be sure to send a picture once I have a set together but I am loving the concept. Super light and all the pieces can fit in a very small space. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I will be writing about this on my next few posts..... all the things I am doing to get ready for the mega wholesale show. So very much to do! Just to cross a few things off my list I managed to get over to Home Depot to purchase additional bulbs, halogen light fixtures and electric cord. Left before realizing I meant to double up on everything! If something can go wrong, it probably will. Always best to have two of everything you cannot function without just in case!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Most of the new line is ready and I am excited to offer a little peak here. I am so excited and so nervous all at the same time. This is a new look but it feels right and I really want to continue to explore it. Lets hope my retailers are as in love with it as I am!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUTkBnU7aYI/AAAAAAAAAco/J6RvZmz8TnA/s1600/Torn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TUTkBnU7aYI/AAAAAAAAAco/J6RvZmz8TnA/s320/Torn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-50715496756180898152010-12-04T12:09:00.000-05:002010-12-04T12:09:25.030-05:00Hammer, metal, and punches....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TPp01dsaC0I/AAAAAAAAAcU/qA_wYsNmfT8/s1600/5231416879_145075e6e5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TPp01dsaC0I/AAAAAAAAAcU/qA_wYsNmfT8/s320/5231416879_145075e6e5_o.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>I really enjoy creating unique textures in metal. There is something fabulous about the process.... Taking small punches and creating patterns, oxidizing the finished piece and waiting for the complete picture to be unveiled....<br />
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I have collected punches for chasing from all sorts of random places and have even made some of my own. An old hex key and a flex shaft can create some really interesting patterns.<br />
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This cuff took about four hours to complete. I really loved the process of fabrication and would love to continue making them but I think I will have to break it down across several days to save the pressure on my neck and back.<br />
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Just thought you would enjoy a little in the process photo.....Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-53525805070854045772010-11-30T22:32:00.001-05:002010-11-30T22:33:44.823-05:00Refine, Refine, Refine!!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TPXA8GTNX6I/AAAAAAAAAcQ/Q1vPNWLzfG4/s1600/5222534352_46328277c1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TPXA8GTNX6I/AAAAAAAAAcQ/Q1vPNWLzfG4/s320/5222534352_46328277c1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Oh goodness how do we take an idea and bring it to fruition and how many drafts must it go through before we reach the desired effect?<br />
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With precious metal prices being what they are I am almost afraid to play and yet I am just not one of those people who can work in anything but the metal itself. I have tried creating models in the past but just never felt like they helped me truly understand what the finished piece would look like so yes... I know... bad delias..... works in sterling even for ideas.<br />
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Well I know I am onto something here but I am not there yet. I think the textured metal needs to really slope outward and be much wider with a lot more movement in the broken edge. Next week I go to pick up metal so I will have to try it again because I just know that it is so close to being something rather cool.Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-34590335917488792192010-11-27T22:25:00.000-05:002010-11-27T22:25:59.957-05:00Little Pieces...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TPHIEO48xgI/AAAAAAAAAcM/niYPZ6PSqmQ/s1600/5204078081_5dfd8d8bbb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TPHIEO48xgI/AAAAAAAAAcM/niYPZ6PSqmQ/s320/5204078081_5dfd8d8bbb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I recently had an experience that reminded me of all my faults and fear overwhelmed me. Some of what was said trickled into my head and bounced back and forth creating vibrations in my mind making it difficult to see clearly.<br />
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And though this person does not know me well they felt compelled to describe me in such a way that they could not have known they hit every fear I hold inside. It commanded my attention as this special journey is one I take so seriously. Someone once told me that the difference between the past and the future is the happy memories you put between them. We each have a story and though that story may not be clear to everyone I think we would all be better if we tried for a moment to realize that we have no idea where people are coming from. What we see in seconds of conversation is but a minute layer and only when we delve further into true friendship are we able to dig past the surface and find the many parts that make the whole. I am guilty of this too and was reminded of this in another recent experience. How I wish I could remember all of my life's lessons and carry them in my pocket for safe keeping.<br />
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Is perception reality? Rarely. It is with this in mind that I have chosen a new concept I want to delve into. The idea that we are broken. Small pieces of our life's experience and rarely does one travel the whole of their life without experiencing some battle scars. It is difficult to lay down our guns when the dust settles and redefine ourselves back to who we were before. It is impossible to not allow these experiences to change how we perceive the world and the objects and people in it. But sometimes we find that through true friendship we can allow ourselves to look forward and try to heal. Someone to remind us that yes, we can lay down our guns and move past these experiences even if we have carried them so long that the burden is part of our own spiritual and physical weight.<br />
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In this attempt to find closure to the past so that I might learn from my mistakes I am compelled to expand into the many broken pieces. The idea that we are stronger more weathered versions of ourselves once broken but the broken pieces can be mended and can create a whole, a joyful surprise, a something unexpected but real and whole and good. Is this possible? Can we stitch our lives back together and carry the struggle forward embracing it as a life changing experience and create positive consequences? I would say yes to that. I would drink a toast and close my eyes and wish upon stars that this might be true. And so my mind will linger here for awhile..... sifting through little pieces......Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860412014924485204.post-41621745888802124922010-11-01T09:47:00.000-04:002010-11-01T09:47:08.348-04:00Paris - There and Back Again....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TM7DtZrxi9I/AAAAAAAAAcI/_hKXj_Jc8ZE/s1600/mosaicf5a49b0b7bfefa0508484017acfe5985ad56ebd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L0Bq4rpPRVE/TM7DtZrxi9I/AAAAAAAAAcI/_hKXj_Jc8ZE/s320/mosaicf5a49b0b7bfefa0508484017acfe5985ad56ebd2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Paris....<br />
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And so as always it is exciting to have gone and exciting to come home! I think we saw just about everything there was to see and the richness of the culture and beauty has me inspired....<br />
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Our favorites I would have to say were the grounds of Versailles and Sacra Coeur, a cathedral above the city of Paris that has had continuous prayer for 125 years.<br />
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I am always amazed at the idea that my feet are now stepping in the shadows of the past and what lingers there, an energy, can still be felt today. Matters of great importance and historic events are ground like powder into the dirt and cobblestones beneath my feet. Such an amazing journey to see what they have seen to feel the same cool breeze sweep off the Seine and row upon waters that once held royal barges..... romantic, humbling, beyond words....Delias Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982298224354668790noreply@blogger.com1